March 25, 2014

A.Q. Miller School adopts student computer policy

The A.Q. Miller School of Journalism and Mass Communications adopted a new policy on Feb. 27 requiring all majors in the school to provide a personal laptop computer. Students will be expected to bring their computer to class and be able to access the Internet as well as create and edit multimedia projects for class assignments.

As more universities across the country are adopting similar policies, faculty from the A.Q. Miller School felt the time is right to enrich the educational experience of its students.

School director Birgit Wassmuth said of the new policy, "We expect our students will be able to save money in the long run because they will be able to access more material electronically. Having this policy in place also allows our students to use student loan funds for purchasing their computers or deduct the cost from their taxes."

Research from the school determined that 98 percent of students already own a personal laptop computer. For those who do not have their own computer, the school will have a small number of laptops available for rental.

The policy originated in the A.Q. Miller School’s technology committee. The committee spent several months researching policies from other universities, while considering the uniqueness of students at Kansas State University.

Committee chair Tom Hallaq said, "Assuring our students have this technology with them in each and every classroom puts our students at a more level playing field with one another. It also allows them to bring skills from one class into others that do not teach the same multimedia skills."

Student computers will be required to have the ability to operate the Adobe Creative Suite software used in most courses offered by the school. The policy will go into place for the fall 2014 semester when all new incoming students will be required to bring their computer.

The A.Q. Miller School of Journalism and Mass Communications was established more than 100 years ago and is one of the oldest accredited journalism and mass communication programs in the U.S. The school was named for the former Kansas journalist, after his son, Carl Miller, made a financial gift in 1987. The school offers courses in journalism, broadcasting, public relations and advertising. It is accredited through the Accrediting Council on Education in Journalism and Mass Communications.